


this year

by sleepiemaggie



Category: Free!
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, cute dumb locker room makeouts that are supposed to be intense but get really cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-10
Updated: 2014-08-10
Packaged: 2018-02-12 14:46:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,503
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2113920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepiemaggie/pseuds/sleepiemaggie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>rin and haru spend a while in the locker rooms after their race.</p><p>in which haru reflects on how much rin's changed since last year and can't help but smile about it. a lot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	this year

When Haruka looks up at the scoreboard and sees that he's won, he's scared.

It's the first time since he and Rin have rekindled their friendship that they're racing against each other in a serious tournament, and he's a bit nervous that Rin may react badly.

Haru looks up at the scoreboard again, comparing the differences between their times. He won by two-hundredths of a second.

Panting as he wills himself to calm down, he glances over at Rin. Haru doesn't get to see his face, because the redhead's already pulling himself out of the pool. Haru follows after him, hefting himself up.

When he looks up, Haruka sees Rin smiling at him. His heartbeat starts to slow down considerably.

Haru feels relief like never before in the few minutes that he's standing beside the pool with Rin, his friend smiling at him the whole time. Haruka's unexpressive as Rin starts to tease him, even more so when he teases Rin back. Rin throws his arm around his shoulders as they start to walk back to the locker rooms, and Haru's unexpressive facade breaks temporarily, revealing a tiny smile.

Rin looks over at him and laughs. "Nanase Haruka's smiling. I must be dreaming," he jokes, giving him a push. Then, when they make their way inside the building and he's sure no one's looking, he presses a kiss to Haru's cheek.

Rin pulls away quickly, looking forward as he tries to hide a light blush. Haru just gazes at him, his smile unfaltering as a small blush of his own paints his cheeks.

They walk into the locker room, and Haru lets Rin lead them to a far corner, away from the other swimmers.

"You know," Haru starts, "that smile you gave me in the parking lot was pretty obvious."

Rin just responds by kissing him. "Don't care," he mutters, grinning against the other's lips.

Haru laughs quietly, humming as their lips touch. He wraps his arms around Rin's waist, pulling him closer.

Rin breaks away from the kiss, leaning his forehead on Haru's. It doesn't take long for his arms to wrap around the other's shoulders.  He grins lazily as he opens his eyes and stares into Haru's blue ones.

"I love you," he says, pushing his forehead harder against the other's.

Haru smiles that tiny smile again, pushing back. "It's pretty obvious," he teases again, bumping their noses together.

Rin frowns in mock-offense. "Won't even say it back," he grumbles dramatically. "You're so mean, Haru-chan."

Haruka tries to fight his grin and laugh at his boyfriend's whining, really, he does. But instead, he finds himself kissing the breath out of Rin again.

"Drop the -chan," he mumbles after he pulls away.

Rin chuckles breathlessly and smirks at him. "Say it back and maybe I will," he negotiates with him, his tone teasing.

Rolling his eyes, Haru leans forward to nip at Rin's lips. He doesn't move away as he mumbles, "I love you," back at him, his lips never leaving Rin's.

He makes a move to pull away, but Rin kisses him again.

When they first got into the locker room, Haru expected this to be intense, thanks to their excess adrenaline from their race. But there's a sweetness in these kisses - not that Haru's complaining. He's happy to see Rin like this. He remembers prefecturals last year, and how their relationship took a turn for the worse. Haru saw how changed Rin had become, and it was something very difficult to see. But now, Haru muses as Rin laughs against his lips, now Rin's like his younger self, his real self, leaving his depressed, emotionally distant self behind. He's changed for the better this time.

Haru doesn't fight the smile that his thoughts conjure up onto his face. He laughs as Rin kisses him for the umpteenth time.

Rin must notice this, because he pulls back, mildly surprised. "Whatcha smiling at?" he asks with a laugh, leaning forward again to nudge the side of Haru's face with his nose.

Haru shakes his head, his smile deflating a little. "It's nothing."

"No way," Rin insists, kissing the side of Haru's face. "It has to be _something_ if you're smiling this much." Rin gazes at him expectantly and sweetly, pressing slow kisses to Haru's cheek. "So, tell me."

Haru's smile sobers up, becoming tiny again. "Prefecturals have been going a lot better than last year," he finally says quietly. "I'm glad."

He avoids eye contact as he always does when he makes reference to what happened between them last year. Rin's kisses stop, and Haru feels him bump his temple with his forehead. They're quiet for a while. Haru closes his eyes, listening to Rin's breathing.

Rin takes a deep breath before he breaks the silence. "Yeah," he says softly, his eyelashes fluttering as he opens his eyes. "Yeah, it has been."

Haru turns his head, opening his eyes. They meet each other's eyes, and Haru looks at him, a bit worried. Rin laughs quietly at his expression, his lips twitching in a small grin.

"We should probably get moving," he says, his smirk going stale.

Haru's face also goes flat. "Yeah."

Before he can move away, Rin kisses him again, this time slowly. Haru doesn't mind, though.

They part yet again, this time for good. Haru's head feels hazy as he remembers where they are. Without words, they part, going to their respective lockers. Haru grabs his towel and goes to the showers to wash off.

* * *

 

When Haru finishes showering, the locker room is empty. He towels his hair off as he walks over to his locker. He finds Rin sitting on a bench near it.

"You were in there for a while," he teases, taking a drink from his water bottle. Then he mumbles, mostly to himself, "But what else is new..."

Haru rolls his eyes as he opens his locker, starting to change back into his sweats. "Shouldn't you be back with your team, _captain_?" Haru teases, shooting Rin a small smirk over his shoulder.

"Don't call me that," Rin sighs as he gets up from the bench and walks closer, leaning on the lockers. "But yeah, I probably should. Sousuke's probably wondering where the hell I am..."

He lets his head fall back against the lockers and closes his eyes. "Makoto and the others are probably wondering where you are, too."

"Yeah," Haru agrees as he shrugs on his swim jacket.

He walks over to Rin and leans on the lockers beside him. Haru grabs hold of Rin's hand with his own and entwines their fingers together. Rin, his eyes still closed, lifts Haru's hand to his mouth and kisses it. Their hands drop after a few moments.

Haru looks over at his boyfriend just as his maroon eyes flutter open. "Come over tonight?" he asks hopefully.

Rin laughs almost bitterly, shaking his head. "We still have the relay tomorrow, Haru. Sousuke would kill me."

Haru frowns. "Tomorrow night?" he tries again.

Rin blinks and smiles, turning to the other. "Yeah, that should be fine." He squeezes Haru's hand. "What, do you miss me _that_ much?" he teases halfheartedly.

Haru's frown grows deeper. "Don't act like you don't miss me too."

Rin leans closer to him, his smile softening. "Aw, but you know I do." His free hand grabs at Haru's shoulder, giving him a little nudge.

Haru rolls his eyes at him again and moves closer to kiss him. Rin laughs as he feels Haru's lips connect with his, his hand moving to angle the other's jaw just right.

When they break yet again, Rin chuckles and says, "Seriously, we should both really get back now."

His lips twitching into that tiny little smile again, Haru nods.

They walk out of the locker room together just as a new wave of swimmers is beginning to enter. When they approach the bleachers, they stop again to say goodbyes.

Rin kisses his cheek as they hug, and he gives him a nudge. "Hey, Haru?"

Haru makes a noise of acknowledgement, sighing in his embrace, not wanting to part.

Rin ruffles his hair. "I love you," he says softly, "and I want to keep swimming with you forever."

Haru's heart flutters at hearing those words. It's such a far cry from what Rin told him last year at prefecturals - _"I will never swim with you again."_

He laughs and lifts his head to look at him. "You're such a sap, Rin," Haru tells him with a grin.

"Your sap," Rin corrects, kissing his cheek again. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?" he asks, pulling away.

Haru gives him another smile and says, "Alright."

Rin gives him a big grin and pats his shoulder before running off to where the Samezuka swim team is seated. Haru controls his smile considerably as he walks to meet up again with his own team, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

 _Yeah_ , he thinks to himself, _prefecturals this year are a lot better than last year._

**Author's Note:**

> feels good to finally get a decent fic out after so long!!! kudos and comments are very much appreciated!!!!!!!!!


End file.
